Old English / Anglo-Saxon Period
One-third of words from this dialect still exist in English today.
What are Anglo-Saxon dialect words?
The Normans invaded England in this year.
What is 1066?
These metaphorical compound words or phrases stand in for singluar nouns in Anglo-Saxon Poetry; they serve to avoid repetition but also to enhance meaning and imagery.
What are kennings?
This code was of utmost importance to medieval knights; they were prepared to die to uphold it.
What is the code of chivalry?
"The Wife of Bath's Tale" belongs to this group of tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century.
What are The Canterbury Tales?
This epic poem is thought to be the oldest surviving poem in the English language.
What is Beowulf?
One of the world's most famous pieces of medieval art, this piece commemorates the events leading up to The Norman Conquest, which culminated in the Battle of Hastings.
What is "The Bayeux Tapestry"?
This excerpt from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains examples of this literary technique.
!Fair fanning tresses enveloped the fighting man’s shoulders,
And over his breast hung a beard as big as a bush;"
What is alliteration?
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is known as this type of poem.
What is an alliterative medieval romance poem?
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and "The Wife of Bath's Tale" are both examples of this genre of poem.
What is the medieval romance poem?
This type of poem is a long narrative poem that relates the great deeds of a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of a particular society.
What is an epic poem?
After the Norman Conquest, the lower classes in England continued to speak English, but the aristocracy spoke this language, the influence of which is still apparent today.
What is French?
This point in the plot of a story is when conflicts get resolved, loose ends get tied up, and remaining questions get answered.
What is "the resolution / the dénouement"?
This character in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an example of the "hidden or mistaken identity" that is characteristic of the medieval romance.
This feature of "The Wife of Bath's Tale" lends to its rhythm.
What is its "rhyme scheme"? (AA; BB; CC; DD)
This was the purpose of the first word of Beowulf ("Bro!" in our translation; "Lo!" in another translation, and "Hwæt!" in the original Old English).
What is a "call to attention"?
This was the biggest factor involved in the evolution from Old English to Middle English.
What is "language contact"? / The Norman Invasion / Conquest of 1066
This literary technique involves the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words; it serves to create rhythm and to unify lines of poetry.
What is alliteration?
When The Green Knight mocks Sir Gawain for flinching at the sight of his axe, the Green Knight reacts by mocking him for this reason.
What is to challenge his honour / his adherence to the code of chivalry / his reputation?
This is the setting of "The Wife of Bath's Tale".
What is "King Arthur's time" / "King Arthur's kingdom"?
These "poet-singers" would sing or chant poetry aloud in the Anglo-Saxon period.
What are "scops"?
William the Conqueror was known for these three main accomplishments.
What are:
1. Creating the The Domesday Book.
2. Bringing the French language to England.
3. Implementing feudalism in England.
This literary element is a significant idea /statement that the story is making about society, human nature, or the human condition.
What is the "theme"?
Medieval romance typically involves these four characteristics.
What are:
1. A hero who faces a challenge / test
2. Idealized / larger-than-life characters
3. Exotic settings & supernatural / magical elements
4. Hidden / mistaken identity
This system of land ownership dictates how a country is run; the king is at the top, followed by the nobility and peasants at the bottom.
What is feudalism?